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Bananada (Brazilian banana paste bars)
Ripe bananas cooked with sugar until dark and firm, cut into bars and rolled in sugar
Bananada comes from the banana country of Minas Gerais and the Vale do Ribeira in São Paulo state, where roadside stalls stack it in wrapped bars beside rapadura and goiabada. Children find it in lunchboxes and it turns up on the sweet tables of the June festivals. Cooked slowly, ripe bananas and sugar darken to a reddish brown and set into a dense, chewy paste with a caramel and baked-banana flavour, finished with a sugary crust. Serve the bars with coffee or a piece of fresh cheese. It is naturally egg-free: the starch and pectin in the bananas, concentrated with sugar over a long, slow cook, set the paste firm enough to slice. Very ripe bananas give the sweetest, darkest result. Chef's tip: keep going until you can see the base of the pan for a second when you drag the spoon through; the common mistake is stopping early, which gives a soft jam that won't cut.
- Total time
- 125 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 16
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ lb very ripe bananaspeeled weight, about 10
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 14 oz white sugar
- ½ cup water
- 1 cinnamon stick (optional)
- 1 tsp neutral oilfor the tin
- 2 ⅞ oz caster sugarfor coating
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What you'll need
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Line a 20 x 20 cm tin with baking paper and brush it with 1 tsp neutral oil.
Step 2: Mash 2 ¼ lb very ripe bananas with 2 tbsp lemon juice until smooth, or blend them briefly.
Step 3: Put 14 oz white sugar and ½ cup water in a large, heavy pan over a medium heat. Cook without stirring, swirling the pan, for 8-10 minutes, until the syrup turns light amber.
10 minStep 4: Carefully add the bananas and 1 cinnamon stick; the caramel will spit and seize, then melt again. Stir well.
2 minStep 5: Cook over a medium-low heat, stirring often and scraping the base, for 45-55 minutes, until the paste is a deep reddish brown, very thick and pulls away from the sides in one mass. It spits, so wear long sleeves.
50 minStep 6: Remove the cinnamon. Spread the paste in the tin, smooth the top and leave to cool and firm, uncovered, for at least 1 hour; overnight makes it firmer.
60 minStep 7: Turn out and cut into 3 x 5 cm bars with an oiled knife. Roll each bar in 2 ⅞ oz caster sugar and store in a tin between layers of baking paper for up to 2 weeks.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 175 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbs
- 44 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does bananada (Brazilian banana paste bars) take?
- About 125 minutes in total: 60 minutes to prepare and 65 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 16 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of very ripe bananas?
- 120g (½ cup) apple sauce per banana (less banana flavour).
- What can I use instead of lemon juice?
- Lime juice, same amount.
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